Welcome, Mr. Kim

ESCAP News

• ESCAP 56th Commission Session
• So Long ... Mr. Mooy
• Resolutions Adopted at the 56th Commission Session
• Georgia becomes ESCAP's 61st member
• Countries Support ESCAP's Effort for the New Millennium
• UN Secretary-General's Commission Statement
• Developing Countries Must not be Marginalized, ESCAP Report Warns
• Information, please
• ESCAP to Help Cambodia's Development
• Tourism Seminar Identifies Winning Strategies
• Population and Rural and Urban Development
• Encouraging Reform for Adult Offenders, Juvenile Delinquents
• ESCAP/WTO Launch Trade Training Programme
• Workshop on Non-handicapping Environments
• ESCAP Highlights
• China Joins the Bangkok Agreement
• New ESCAP Publications

• General Assembly Special Session on Women

WELCOME, MR. KIM

Mr. Kim Hak-Su of the Republic of Korea, took
over as Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
Mr. Kim assumed his post on 1 July 2000.

Back to contents

H.E. Mr. Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of Thailand inaugurates
the 56th Commission Session of ESCAP.

ESCAP Faces Full Social and Economic Agenda  for the Millennium

The 56th Commission Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held from 1-7 June 2000, the first one for the millennium, ended with countries giving a full vote of confidence to ESCAP to face the challenges of social and economic development.

The timely session was held on the heels of the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle, and UNCTAD X in Bangkok earlier this year.  The Commission examined trade and other issues such as the environment, transport, tourism, social development, infra-structure development and statistics.

The Commission Session which meets annually welcomed its newest member Georgia to make 61 members, up by nearly 51 members and associate members since its founding in 1947 with only ten member countries.

It bade farewell and paid tribute  to Mr. Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary, who left the United Nations on 30 June for his home country Indonesia after serving a five-year term. "I wish once again to convey our deep appreciation and gratitude to the distinguished Executive Secretary, Mr. Mooy, for his invaluable services to the Commission and a warm welcome to his incoming successor Mr. Kim Hak-Su.  In wishing Mr. Mooy continued good health and happiness in the next phase of his life, we look forward to Mr. Kim's joining the Secretariat," said Dr. Kharazzi, Chairman of the Session.   The theme for the Session was timely: "Development through globalization and partnership in the twenty-first century: an Asia-Pacific perspective for integrating developing countries and econo-mies in transition into the inter-national trading system on a fair and equitable basis."

Ministers and senior officials from 41 countries examined and debated the merits and demerits of globalization during the six-day meeting. The Session's major document was the Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific 2000 which highlighted economic surveillance and monitoring and was launched  a week before the Commission Session began.

Chairman of the session H.E. Dr Kamal Kharazzi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran highlighted  a few major issues in his closing statement. Here are a few highlights:

• Domestic reform measures, including good governance both in public and private sectors, should be continued and strengthened.   In that context, such factors as transparency, structural adjustments and participation of civil society, women, youth and vulnerable groups deserve special attention.

• The (economic) crisis has also exposed the major weaknesses in the development process in many countries in the region.  As millions of people suddenly found themselves in poverty and destitution, the provision of social safety nets cannot be avoided both on moral as well as social (and political) stability grounds.  However, this ad hoc solution would be barely adequate to cope with future crises.  In this context, a comprehensive framework of social security should be explored by all governments in the region.

• In the wake of the financial crisis, there has been a consensus that better economic and financial monitoring and surveillance is called for.  A study by the Secretariat in response to the Commission's resolution points to a number of recommendations as regards various modalities to complement and support national, regional and global activities in monitoring and surveillance.  We note with keen interest further Secretariat support and involvement in these activities.

• While we believe it is urgent to enhance our access to global information networks, and to improve the benefits derived therefore, we emphasize the need to preserve our national and regional diversity of traditions, identities and cultures, which may be affected by the globalization process.  This process, however, brings us a unique opportunity to enhance understanding of diverse cultures and for promoting cooperation among ourselves.

• Managing the environment is crucial for the attainment of sustainable development.  As environmental problems often transcend national boundaries, regional cooperation on this matter becomes all the more important.  In this regard, we all look forward to the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development, which the Government of Japan would be hosting in Kitakyushu  in August-September this year.

The Commission decided that the theme topic for the next  57th Session will be on "Balanced development of urban and rural areas and regions within the countries of Asia and the Pacific" which would be both timely and vital at the threshold of a new millennium.

Back to contents

SO LONG ... MR. MOOY

As the 56th Session of the Commission drew to a close, ESCAP's outgoing Executive Secretary Mr. Adrianus Mooy bade the first of many farewells to Commission members and staff.

Mr. Mooy was at the helm of some challenging years for ESCAP and the region. "Not only because the region is a vast and diverse one, but on top of that  we have witnessed the United Nations financial crisis since 1995 and Asian economic and financial crisis in 1997.   These have occurred in a rapidly  changing  and  globalizing  world,  and  require, among others, reform and adjustment to achieve a more focused and efficient approach which would make the Commission more relevant," he said.

Besides expressing thanks to all the support given to ESCAP, and to him in his term of office, Mr. Mooy had a few thoughts  about ESCAP's task in the future and the role it will play in the economic and social life in the region. He said that he was leaving a "healthy and vibrant" ESCAP that was fully committed to the tasks ahead.    "Let me assure this august body that ESCAP remains committed to searching for new avenues for strengthening regional cooperation that would benefit, in particular, the developing members and associate members.  Let me digress briefly at this point to offer some personal thoughts as I prepare to leave the Secretariat after what has  arguably been  a  five-year period of transition and change in the evolution of the Organization and in the development dynamics of the region."

"It is clear that if ESCAP is to succeed in fulfilling its mandate, it cannot do it alone.  We  need to build partnerships - with other regional and subregional organizations, UN bodies and specialized agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and civil society."

"As I said earlier people come and go but organizations will go on.  I therefore hope that you would also extend the same support to the Secretariat in the coming years and particularly the new Executive Secretary, Mr. Kim Hak-Su," said Mr Mooy. "Because of the revolution in technology, the universe will be continuously expanding but the world is shrinking  and  in  this   global village,    therefore,  I am sure that our paths will cross again.   So I will not say  good bye  but rather  so long ."

Mr. Adrianus Mooy cuts a cake at his farewell
party organized by the Staff Council of ESCAP
on 27 June 2000.  Madam Mooy looks on.

Back to contents

Georgia becomes ESCAP's  61st member

 
 

Republic of Georgia  Capital: Tbilisi.  Population: About 5 million.  Date of Independence: 9 April 1991.  Exchange rate, to US$1: 2 Lari (as of June 2000).  President, elected in 1995: Edvard Shevardnadze.  Area:  approximately 69,875 square kilometres.  Gross National Product (GNP): Estimated at US$4.7 billion in 1992, or approximately US$850 per person. Located in the region known as the Caucasus or Caucasia, Georgia borders, to the north and northeast, the Russian Republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia,  and North Ossetia. Neighbours to the south are Armenia, Azerbaijan, and  Turkey. The shoreline of the Black Sea constitutes Georgia's entire western border.

Back to contents

Prime Minister of Thailand visits the ESCAP exhibition
organized during its 56th Commission Session in Bangkok.

Delegates to the Ministerial Segment of the 56th Commission Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) discussed a wide range of subjects related to sustaining economic recovery on a fair basis.

Here are a selection of statements:

India firmly believed that trade negotiations should concentrate on core issues of market access ensuring smooth flow of trade based on the principle of equity. The constructive role that e-commerce and information technology could play in the development process should be examined. Regarding the agriculture sector, developed countries should eliminate export subsidies and other trade distortive measures. Future negotiations in agriculture must not in any way limit the flexibility of large rural agrarian economies to support and protect their domestic production as well as achieve the objective of food security and rural employment.

Islamic Republic of Iran representative told the meeting that unimpeded access to members in the organization including transparency in the application of accession procedures were critical factors for their integration into the world trading system. It was imperative to ensure the universality of the WTO. Attempts to obstruct the normal accession procedure were not acceptable. In today's global climate such attitudes should be seriously revisited.

Japan noted that economic growth rates of the Asian economies had recently turned positive. The most important step to be taken to ensure these moves towards recovery did not prove temporary was the development of human resources, a critical factor for economic development. Based on a report submitted by the Government of Japan last November at the ASEAN + 3 Summit, Japan had announced the "Obuchi Plan" for enhancing human resources development and exchanges in East Asia.   The Japanese Government would continue to steadily implement the Obuchi Plan. To help the socially vulnerable who have suffered most from the crisis, Japan had decided to create a "Japan Social Development Fund" in the World Bank and "Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction" in the Asian Development Bank, to which it would continue a sum of 10 billion yen each for fiscal year 2000.

Maldives representative said his country had made rapid and confident strides in development. But to go beyond them it needed to overcome many hurdles. The biggest of these was the inherent vulnerability of its small islands that arose from the delicate environmental balance of island ecosystems and the uneven distribution of his country's population over 200 islands. These conditions imposed serious constraints in the delivery of services and the development of viable economic activities.

Republic of Korea Government representative believed that it was high time for industrialized countries to take the lead in building a worldwide public information infrastructure to narrow the "digital divide." For their part, developing countries should do their utmost to adapt to the new environment through the strengthening of their educational bases and vocational training to prepare young generations to be ready for knowledge-based economic development.

Singapore said globalization was not a matter of choice but necessity. The representative of Singapore told delegates that what was needed was the human dimension to mitigate the worst excesses of globalization. He called for increased trade liberalization among developed countries, reform of the international financial architecture, and development of human capital.

Sri Lanka said that during the cold war, people asked about the speed of a missile system. Today people ask, how fast is your modem. While today literacy was measured by the ability to read and write, tomorrow it would measured by computer literacy. Internet had become the symbol of the globalization era and e-commerce the vehicle of growth in the 21st century. Developing countries should have access to information technology and skills and finances to adopt them.

Thailand proposed the "ASEAN Mekong Agenda" which aimed to reduce the disparities between older and newer members of ASEAN. The delegate noted that recent projects focusing on the Mekong sub-region lacked an overall directional framework. As a result, the region's limited resources had been spread too thin to allow anything substantial to be achieved.

It was imperative for ASEAN members to identify cooperative schemes in the sub-region so that they could be prioritized, harmonized, and brought under a coherent framework. This would avoid duplication of efforts. Thailand was convinced that this work should begin with the development of the Mekong sub-region, for without the integration of the newer members of ASEAN, the dream of a more prosperous and stable Southeast Asia would not be realized.

United Kingdom believed that debt relief was another vital component in the drive to eradicate poverty. Having helped to secure multilateral funding for debt forgiveness, the representative of the UK said his Government had taken a further step of eliminating all bilateral debts owed to it by the heavily indebted poor countries. He hoped that other creditor nations would follow the UK's lead and make the year 2000 one in which a new, virtuous circle of debt relief, poverty alleviation and economic development would be established.

Back to contents

UN Secretary-General's Commission Statement

In his message, the Secretary-General noted that the fifty-sixth Session of the Commission was particularly timely, taking place in the wake of the meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the tenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Bangkok.  At the start of the new millennium, the overarching challenge was to manage the risks and seize the opportunities of globalization.  No region in the world should be without a plan of action designed to ensure that the benefits of globalization were shared by all.

The forces of globalization had ushered in faster economic growth, higher living standards, accelerated innovation and rapid diffusion of technology.  However, globalization had also meant greater vulnerability to unfamiliar and unpredictable forces that could bring on economic instability and social dislocation.  Concern and anxieties about those negative effects could not be ignored.

Globalization meant more than creating bigger markets; it was about the inclusion and integration of all countries and all people into the global economy, the international trading system and global society in general.

ESCAP had an important catalytic role to play in that process.  Sound governance practices and stable institutions would be rendered that much more effective if they were surrounded by mechanisms at the regional, subregional and national levels.  The Secretary-General had emphasized that point in his discussions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-United Nations Summit held at Bangkok early in 2000, and he urged the Commission to take that into consideration when discussing possible action in the region.

Back to contents

Developing Countries Must not be Marginalized, ESCAP Report Warns

The benefits of globalization and the world trading system can be reaped only if policy reform in these countries is complemented by supportive policies in developed nations and international institutions.

Underlining the fact that developing countries and economies in transition in the region must not be marginalized further, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in a special study, urges a regional perspective on globalization specifically on how to manage globalization and seize new opportunities.

Although East Asian and Southeast Asian countries received universal acclaim as the fastest growing economies, they too bore the brunt of the most serious economic crisis in the past 50 years.  Enhanced participation in the globalization therefore brings certain risk. "The Asian crisis amply demonstrated such participation is by no means smooth nor does it guarantee equitable gains for all countries and peoples," the report says.

The study was among several examined by members of ESCAP attending the 56th Commission Session in Bangkok, 1-7 June 2000.

The World Trade Organization can play a pivotal role, the study states, in the effective integration of developing countries into the world trading system by "promoting an international trade regime that takes adequate care of the special needs of developing countries." A lot more needs to be done by WTO before the integration of developing countries can be said to be fair and equitable. Although the Third WTO Ministerial Conference failed to launch a new round of multilateral trade negotiations, the overall paradigm shift in development policy makes the new round likely sooner rather than later.

The Chairman of the 56th Commission of ESCAP, H.E. Dr. Kamal Kharrazi,
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, briefs the media on the
outcome of the Session at a joint press conference with Mr. Adrianus Mooy,
(on the left) Executive Secretary of ESCAP on 7 June 2000.
Mr. David Lazarus, (on the right) Chief of the United Nations Information Services.

Back to contents

ESCAP to Help Cambodia's  Development

ESCAP has been asked to assist Cambodia in its efforts to accelerate the pace of it social and economic development  to catch up with neighbouring ASEAN countries to effectively integrate Cambodia into ASEAN.

At the request of the Foreign Minister of Cambodia, a Needs Assessment Mission headed by Mr. Benny Widyono and Mr. Yee Chi Fong from the  International Trade and Industry Division of ESCAP was sent to Cambodia from 9 to 12 May 2000.

The timely mission coincided with a confluence of many crucial factors in Cambodia.  First of all, donors and government ministries were in the final stages of preparing for an important Consultative Group meeting sponsored by the World Bank. Secondly, the first Socio-Economic Five Year Plan 1996-2000 will be completed and on 18 May preparations began for a new plan for  2001-2004.  The plan was launched at a seminar presided by H.E. Prime Minister Hun Sen.

"At the Seminar, the Prime Minister  gave his vision of the country's future and placed emphasis on the government's poverty reduction in the upcoming second five-year plan which was to be launched soon," said Mr. Widyono.

Projects identified included workshops, advisory missions and specific studies as well as an update of the minerals resources map already made by ESCAP in 1993.

The priority areas identified during the mission included assistance in development planning with an emphasis on poverty reduction, assistance for Cambodia's integration into ASEAN, and the Greater Mekong Subregion as well as  world trade policy and investment promotion, rural development, human resources development, the fight against AIDS and rehabilitation of the transport sector.

The Cambodian initiative is a unique new approach by ESCAP whereby the needs for assistance to a single country are matched against the ongoing projects, as well as future areas of assistance.  ESCAP's Divisions  will implement the projects identified with their respective counterparts in Cambodia.

ESCAP will assist Cambodia to accelerate its development
efforts with emphasis on poverty reduction, and rural and
human resources development.

Back to contents

POPULATION AND RURAL AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

This is the sixth in a series of articles explaining the work and objectives of  the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The objective of this sub-programme  is to strengthen the technical, managerial and organizational capacity of government agencies and civil society organizations at all levels to formulate population, rural and urban development policies and programmes designed to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life.

The subprogramme pursues these objectives through the organization of training workshops  on reproductive health and population and development.  Technical assistance will be provided, upon request, in the implementation  of  the Bali Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development and the Programme  of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

In preparation for the Fifth Asian and Pacific  Population Conference, scheduled for 2002, two preparatory meetings will be organized.

Population information is disseminated to policy makers and programme managers throughout the region by the publications of technical reports, a journal and newsletters and by electronic means.

Information networks are maintained and information technology training will be organized for governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The subprogramme aims to strengthen the capacity of government and NGOs  to reduce rural poverty, enhance food security and sustainable agricultural development through normative research, advisory services, training, information dissemination and exchange of experience in cooperation with other international organizations.

To follow up on the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II), a high-level meeting, regional and local forums and seminars will be organized to enhance the capacity of  and dialogue between local and national governments, and civic groups.

As a result of these activities, policy makers, programme managers, academics and educators will have gained knowledge concerning population and sustainable development  linkages, rural poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural development and shelter and urban issues, and will have improved the technical skills needed for implementing that knowledge.

Back to contents

Encouraging Reform for Adult Offenders, Juvenile Delinquents

The Seminar provided better understanding on the subject
of juvenile delinquents and developed policies for prevention
and treatment of the young persons who come into conflict
with the law in the region.

A Regional Seminar on Assessment and Classification of Adult Offenders and Juvenile Delinquents was convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the United Nations Conference Centre, from 13-15 March 2000.

The Seminar is part of an on going project on assessment and classification of adult and juvenile offenders being implemented by ESCAP with the funding support of the Government of Japan.

The Seminar  provided a forum for an exchange of information, views and experiences, to identify major issues related to the assessment and classification of offenders and  recommended  policy measures to address the issues at the national and regional levels.

The Seminar also promoted further understanding of the subject and identified research and technical assistance needs in the field with the formulation of a draft training programme for staff and officials engaged in the assessment and classification of offenders.

The Seminar  strengthened integrated policies and programmes for crime and juvenile delinquency prevention and treatment, with emphasis on the assessment and classification of incarcerated criminal offenders and juvenile delinquents.

The Seminar generated better understanding and social reintegration of the young persons who come into conflict with the law in the Asian and Pacific region's developing countries.  It also contributed towards preventing the growth and spread of crime and juvenile delinquency, and by reducing the number of repeat offenders, it will reduce the number of prospective victims.

Government officials, non-governmental organizations and academics concerned with adult offenders and juvenile delinquents as well as representatives of the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), and the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation (ACPF) attended the Seminar.

Back to contents

Back to contents

Workshop on Non-handicapping Environments

An accessible environment is the hallmark of a caring society, says ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Kayoko Mizuta.

Architects, engineers, urban planners and disability sector personnel from the Asian and Pacific region gathered in Bangkok  at the First Regional Training of Trainers' Workshop on the Promotion of Non-handicapping Environments for People with Disabilities.  The aim of the Workshop was to  discuss ways of  improving access capabilities for people with disabilities.

In most countries of the Asian and Pacific region, physical environments are still designed with little consideration to access needs of people with disabilities.  Physical barriers prevent people with disabilities from participating in many aspects of community life.  In some cases, the absence of access features has even endangered lives.

The Workshop was  jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Royal Thai Government, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)  at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 1-14 March 2000.

Inaugurating the workshop, H.E. Mr. Anusorn Wongwan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of the Royal Thai Government,  stated that to ensure people with disabilities have full participation with equality, we must remove major barriers they face. This includes not only attitudinal barriers but also physical barriers in the built environment.

The workshop was considered to be the most important step to promote awareness of the rights of people with disabilities to equal opportunities and full participation and provide guidelines, concepts and understanding on the issues.  It provided valuable contribution to the significant change for the development of disabled persons in the new millennium.

The training course was unique in this field because it was the first time that three different agencies, JICA, the Royal Thai Government, and ESCAP, have come together to address an urgent training issue in the ESCAP region.

ESCAP's efforts to develop a regional momentum to promote barrier-free environments date back to 1993, the first year of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons.  Since then, with the generous support of the Government of Japan, ESCAP has pioneered the mobilization of agencies and personnel concerned with the built environment to work with colleagues in the social development sector, including people with disabilities, on access improvement in ESCAP developing countries.

This course aimed to support the development of active multi-disciplinary groups to raise awareness  for building a critical mass of commitment and expertise on access improvement in the Asia and Pacific societies.

The course was designed to form building blocks for a vibrant access initiative network of technical professionals, disabled persons and other concerned personnel from both governmental and non-governmental organizations. Participants at the workshop were from over ten countries in the Asia and Pacific region and included people with disabilities.

Back to contents

Back to contents

CHINA JOINS THE BANGKOK AGREEMENT

In an important development that could have a profound impact on regional trade relations in Asia and the Pacific and possibly in the rest of the international trading system, China formally acceded to the Bangkok Agreement on 7 April 2000.

This was announced by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Agreement, Mr. M.A. Kamal, at the end of the Sixteenth Session of the Committee which met in Bangkok between 3-5 April 2000. The Chairman pointed out that it was significant that China had acceded to Asia's only regional preferential trading agreement ahead of its accession to the World Trade Organization. He believed that this marked the beginning of a new era for international trade relations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Bangkok Agreement, signed in 1975 as an initiative of ESCAP, is a preferential tariff arrangement that aims at promoting intra-regional trade through exchange of mutually agreed concessions by member countries.

China's accession  is significant because it marks that country's debut into regional trading agreements and is therefore an important milestone in its  two-decade old, outward-looking policy orientation.  But more significantly, it means that members of the Agreement will have access on concessional terms to the markets of two giants of the global economy, China and India, with a combined population of more than two-and-a-half billion.  This is reason enough for the world to sit up and take notice of this development.

Back to contents

New ESCAP Publications
 
 

Integrated Assessment and Development of Mineral Resources in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The publication attempts to evaluate the availability and status of data on mineral
resources of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
 
 

Regional Cooperation in the Twenty-first Century on Flood Control and Management in Asia and the Pacific

The publication focuses on regional experience of the flood control and management
process at the basin, national and regional levels.

Back to contents

General Assembly Special Session on Women

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, HEALTH AND DRUGS ARE KEY CONCERNS

A special session of the UN General Assembly to promote the gender equality agenda marked a milestone in boosting women's rights in all spheres of life. The Session concluded with the adoption of a Political Declaration and a document on further initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action.

The Special Session of the General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: Gender equality, development and peace for the 21st century" was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5-10 June 2000.  Representatives from over 180 countries and almost all ESCAP member and associate member countries attended the Session.

The Political Declaration reaf-firmed  the commitment of governments to the goals of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform of Action and to the implementation of the 12 critical areas of concern as well as recognized that governments have primary responsibility for their  implementation.

The Session identified areas of concern which included globalization, science and technology especially information and communications technology, migratory flows of labour, partnerships between governments and civil society; ageing, HIV/AIDS and growing drugs and substance abuse, natural disasters, and  the changing context of gender relations/roles and responsibilities of women and men working together towards gender equality.

There were 218 calls for action. Some highlights:

Globalization: Women must reap the benefits rather than bear the burden of globalization.  Governments agreed to create and ensure equal access to social protection, to take measures to enhance the effective participation of developing countries in the inter-national economic policy decision-making process, and to analyse structural adjustment programmes from the gender perspective such as why women and men may be affected differently by the process of job creation  with the economic transition including globalization.

Violence Against Women with action to introduce legislation and other measures (including an international zero tolerance campaign on violence against women)  to ensure that all women and girls are protected and have recourse to justice, and to treat all forms of violence against women as a criminal offence punishable by law.  Action was also greed to eradicate harmful customary practices, including female genital mutilation, early and forced marriage and so-called honour crimes which violate women's human rights.  Action to work towards combatting the trafficking of women and children were agreed.

Other actions covered poverty, working conditions, education, health, human rights/legal reforms, decision-making, media, older women, women with disability and indigenous women, migrant women, the environment and natural resource management.

The booklet provides information on how the
five Regional Commissions work to improve
the status, lives and futures of millions of
women across the globe.

Back to contents